


The Circus

by RinRin24



Series: 100 ways to say 'I Love You' [34]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 67-66, Circus, M/M, Magic, Mistery, acrobat!Yuta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 00:57:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12923895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinRin24/pseuds/RinRin24
Summary: The carnival only came once a year, to give a night of wonders and magic, filling everything with its colours and giving everyone dreams.Taeyong could remember this from his childhood. But as an adult, the carnival had a whole another plan for him, starting with a meeting with a beautiful boy with colourful make-up.Now on Wattpad if you prefer to read in that format or just simply there:click here!Spanish translation on Wattpad by mirska.:here! :)





	1. Close your eyes and hold out your hands

**Author's Note:**

> Day 67 - Close your eyes and hold out your hands

Taeyong really loved going to carnivals when he was younger. He loved seeing the many colourful rides they brought, loved eating sweets with his sister, and staying up late. (Sure, for his eight years old self 9 PM was late as hell, now he wasn't sure about that...) 

But as he grow up, he slowly started skipping it out when they came into the town. He always had something else to do, and he never deemed the carnival important enough to cancel the other things. 

Now, being 23 years old, Taeyong couldn't really bring himself to skip it out again, being free on the day the carnival came for the first time in many years. 

He smiled to himself as he sat down on a bench and looked at the crowd. He could hear children laughing and asking their parents to buy them unhealthy foods that would make their stomachs ache in the end. The air was filled with so many scent, bringing back so many memories. 

Taeyong took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Yep, he was an idiot for always skipping this out.

"Hey, sorry. Can I sit down?" Taeyong opened his eyes to look at the guy who asked him. But what he saw took his breath away. 

The guy was wearing a black hoodie with its hood pulled into his face to hide his colourful make-up. Around his eyes he was painted with every colour of the palette, his brown hair falling into it. He gave Taeyong a small smile when he noticed the other looking at him. He was even more beautiful with a smile of his pretty lips. 

Taeyong never believed in love at the first sight, but damn he was falling fast. 

"Sorry, if it's not available I can..." The boy started, and was moving to go away, when Taeyong quickly shook his head as he was pulled back into the reality. 

" No, no, it's available. Sorry, I'm just..." He started, and guy gave him a smile as he sat down next to Taeyong. 

"It's okay, the make-up usually has this effect on people. Mostly on the kids, but adults can be starstruck too" he laughed as he took a bite of the hot dog in his hands. 

Taeyong blushed.  
" Sorry..." He murmured, turning his gaze away. The guy looked at him from the corner of his eyes, smiling softy as he chewed. 

"Are you waiting for your date? Or maybe she went with your kid?" The guy asked, covering his mouth with his hand. 

"Oh, no. I'm alone. No kid, no date" he said, looking back at the guy who was still consuming his hot dog. 

"Really? It's rare to see a grown man alone at a carnival" he said, his coloured eyebrow running up until it almost disappeared behind his hood. 

"I just came because it's nostalgic" Taeyong shrugged, looking back at the crowd. It was getting dark, so they turned on the lights, and it just made everything prettier. Even more colours, even brighter everything. It was honestly one of the most beautiful sight. 

The guy next to Taeyong hummed softly as he continued to eat. 

"And you? Are you a part of it?" The looked at the boy and pointed at his make-up. The boy looked at him with big eyes as he chewed before he nodded slowly. 

"Yap" he replied and swallowed. "But I haven't eaten anything today, so they allowed me to leave for this half an hour" he said, and started to clean his hands with a napkin. Taeyong hasn't even noticed how fast the guy actually ate. 

"And what do you do?" Taeyong asked carefully. He couldn't really decide what the guy's role could be. He had the make-up the performers at the shows wore, but usually the performers weren't allowed to come out no matter what. At least Taeyong was told so by his sister once. 

The boy smirked at him, before he turned towards Taeyong with his whole body. 

"Wanna see it?" He asked, wriggling his eyebrows. He moved until he was kneeling on the bench even before Taeyong could nod. 

The guy pulled the sleeves of his hoodie up, revealing the the long sleeves of his colourful costume under the hoodie. He placed his hands together and then slowly pulled them apart, pulling a pink string out of his sleeve. 

He looked at Taeyong for a moment, giving him a smile that made Taeyong hold his breath. The guy was even more beautiful with the light shining over him, making the visible parts of his make-up even more magical. Taeyong felt like the boy had just casted a spell over him. 

Especially when the boy reached towards him, placing his hand over Taeyong's eyes.  
"Close your eyes and hold out your hands" The guy whispered, and Taeyong couldn't help but do as he was told. The boy's hand was soft and gentle over his eyes, but as quick as it came, the touch was gone. 

"The name's Yuta, by the way" he heard the boy, no, Yuta say, before something was placed on his palms. Taeyong quickly opened his eyes, but Yuta was now nowhere to be seen. Taeyong quickly looked around, hoping to spot the guy, but he couldn't see him anywhere. 

His eyes turned towards the balloon dog in his hands. It was white, but there was a pink string tied tightly around its neck, holding a ticket securely. 

A ticket to the late night show the circus held on the last day of the carnival.


	2. You didn't have to ask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 66 - You didn't have to ask
> 
> In Hungary, just like in some other European countries, Santa Klaus comes on the night leading to morning of the 6th of December and brings sweets to those who had been good that year. I met him last night, and he said that I can give this to you guys if you were being nice, supportive readers all year long, leaving many comments. :D So here it is! <3
> 
> Now, seriously. This is probably the best shit I've ever written, and now I'm honestly considering quitting the 100 days thingy, just so this can get the attention I want it to get, and not get looked over just because of the many short drabbles that most of the readers just scroll through. :"D But I have more 11 already written, but I'll pin this to my profile on Twitter, because I'm honestly kind of proud of this.

Taeyong walked to the tent that was towering over the carnival with unsure steps. He was holding the white balloon puppy in his hands like it was the biggest treasure he had. 

It was half past eight, and the ticket told him to be at the tent right now. He could see people lining up in front of it, and Taeyong immediately stood at its end. He looked at the people in front of him. He could see families in the line, but the youngest people could only be ten years old. There was no sight of little children whom he had see so many of that day. But it was understandable, the show was starting at 20:57 (which Taeyong thought was an odd time to start, but anyway) and it could last long for all Taeyong knew. He has never been to any of these shows, he has only seen the tent every single year. 

The line was getting shorter and shorter in front of Taeyong every second, and Taeyong could feel his stomach doing flips from the excitement. 

A young girl in front of him stepped to the guy in the door of the tent and handed him her and her mother's ticket. She was wearing a white dress with a red string around her waist. Her hair was bronze coloured and it was long enough to cover the bow that held the ends of the string together. She was beautiful. 

The guy in the door was taller than Taeyong. His hair was in a soft orange colour and there were bunny ears attached to his head in the same colour. He was dressed in a suit, that reminded Taeyong of the clothes of the bunny from Alice in Wonderland. Maybe that was the play they were doing that night... 

The bunny-guy smiled at the young girl as he held his hands out to take the tickets.  
"What do you wish to see tonight, my lady?" He asked, his voice soft and a little higher than Taeyong's own. 

The girl's face lit up and she looked up onto her mother before she looked back onto the guy.  
"Magic" she said, with a smile that was reciprocated by the guy. She could be twelve if Taeyong had to guess, so she was much taller than the bunny boy when the guy squatted down in from of her. 

"Then let me begin your night with a magic of my own as a promise that the show will be exactly what your heart wishes to see" he said as he slowly lifted his right hand up, exactly how Yuta did to Taeyong earlier. Taeyong watched the action with wide eyes. 

"Now, ladies, please, close your eyes" the guy's voice got a little deeper as he said this, and both the little girl and her mother closed their eyes. The bunny-boy smiled and made a movement with his hand. And then suddenly two rose were in his hand. One of them were white as the fresh snow and there were red glitter on the edge of the petals, while the other one was red with white glitter, that made it look almost like it had been frozen. 

Taeyong breath was caught in his throat as he looked from the roses to the dog in his hand. Did Yuta do this, too...?

The people around them clapped, causing the girl and her mother to open their eyes. The girl's mouth fell open as she looked at the roses, and the bunny-guy's smile became even gentler as he took the white rose with his other hand and offered it to her.

"But... how?" The girl asked as the guy stood up and held the other rose out for the mother to take. She, too, seemed starstruck. 

After that, the guy held his pointing finger in front of his lips.  
"Let that remain my secret, lady. And now, please, let Jeno guide you to your seat" A young boy, who was way too handsome for his young age in Taeyong's mind stepped forward and bowed before he offered his arm to the girl who blushed. Her mouther bit into her lower lip to hold back her smile her daughter's reaction caused. 

"Let me guide you to your seats from where you can enjoy tonight's show" he said, and turned to lead the ladies to their seats. 

Taeyong stepped forward. He was the next one in the line. The bunny-guy looked at him strange when he saw the balloon in his hands.  
"Where did you get that?" He asked, as he reached for the ticket carefully. He pulled it off the string, tearing the paper a little in the process. 

Taeyong looked at the motion, secretly happy that the string could stay on the puppy.  
"Yuta gave it to me" he answered, caressing it softly, not wanting to make it burst. 

The bunny-guy nodded before he turned around.  
"Jisung! Here's a guest with a member's invitation" he said. A young boy stepped forward, looking up at Taeyong. He had a bowl cut hair that was coloured blonde, and we was dressed in a white sweater to hide his costume. 

He gave Taeyong a smile as he stepped to him.  
"Sir, allow me to guide you to your seat in the box specially reserved to you" he said, holding his arm out to show the way. Taeyong muttered a quiet 'Thank you' before he went after the young boy. 

He looked down at the balloon puppy in awe. He didn't know it could make him such an important person. He only took such a good care of it because he got it from Yuta. 

The young boy led him up on the stairs and Taeyong couldn't even imagine how they could construct them inside. He didn't dare to ask. 

At the end of the stairs, was a door. It was painted white, with black stripes on it, that made Taeyong's eyes hurt. Luckily, he didn't have to look at it for long, because the young boy opened it for him, and waited for him to get in. 

"This will be your place tonight, sir. You are the only one who's got the privilege of the member's invitation, so nobody will bother you throughout the show. And if you wish, after the performance, you can wait here if you're not too tired, and the member you've waited for will come to you" he said, smiling softly. He could see the surprise on Taeyong's face, and he found it rather amusing. It was really rare that somebody had a member's invitation, so when it happened, they made sure that person had the best view of the stage, and that the person will have the night of their lives. 

"Alright. Thank you" Taeyong managed to say out, looking at the boy for a second. He could hardly tear away his gaze from the box. It was in a dark blue colour, and there were stars painted on the walls. There was a small black table next to a soft looking armchair, and it was packed with small cakes and a cup with water on it. 

The boy gave him a smile once again as he bowed.  
"I will leave now, but if you need anything, just call for me" he said, before he stepped out and closed the door. Taeyong managed to nod, even though he didn't really understand what he should do. Okay, call for Jisung, but how...? 

Taeyong looked around once again, taking his time to take in how beautiful the room was. The starry night painted on the walls felt so real, Taeyong couldn't almost see the shooting star move. The optical illusion made it look like it really moved slowly through the wall. At least, he thought it was optical illusion. 

Taeyong finally took his place in the armchair and looked down at the round stage. He could see everything perfectly, every inch of the stage, and everything above and around that.  
He placed the balloon puppy in his lap, letting his fingers caress it. He never thought that a single encounter and a gift such as a balloon animal could give him such an experience, even though the show haven't even started yet! 

The seats underneath his box began to fill up completely and Taeyong reached into his pocket for his phone. He needed to know what time it was, he was so excited for the show by now!  
But he was surprised to see, that when he pressed the button on the side of his phone, only a pocket watch's picture came in, that ticked slowly. He pressed the button longer, trying to turn the phone on, but no matter how hard he tried, it just didn't do anything. But the clock ticked slowly and peacefully. Taeyong sighed. So even phones didn't work normally in this place... But at least he got to know that there was five minutes left. 

Even the last seats slowly filled up and Taeyong couldn't help but feel more and more excited as the time flew by. He could see the little girl and her mother as they sat in on of the front rows. They seemed just as excited as Taeyong was. 

Taeyong looked at the watch that was displayed on his phone.  
One minute left. The longest one minute of Taeyong's life. 

But then the lights finally were turned off and only one single ray of light shone to the middle of the stage where a tall young man was standing. _When did he get there?_

He was dressed in the same suit as the bunny-guy was at the entrance, but he didn't have the ears attached to his head. He smiled when he noticed how silent the crowd went in the instant. He was really good looking, but not as good looking as Yuta was. At least in Taeyong's mind. 

The guy straightened his back and opened one of his arms.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen" he started. Taeyong couldn't see any mic attached to him or his clothes, but he could hear him perfectly. 

"Kings and Queens" he opened his other arm, too, giving a charming smile to the audience. 

"Princesses and knights" he placed his right hand over his heart and the other behind his back. 

"Allow me to have the pleasure of welcoming you in the Circus tonight." He bowed, and Taeyong could hear some of the female audience swoon. 

He straightened up and continued talking with humble gestures and a soft smile on his plump lips.  
"Our role has been the same for hundreds,  
And will stay the same for the years to come,  
and we'll do our best every single night,

Every single performance,

Every single scene."  
As he said this, he made a pointing gesture in three directions, and Taeyong swore he saw sparkles in the air where the guy's fingers cut into it. Taeyong rubbed his eyes, thinking it was just his vision that played a joke on him, but by the time, he took his hands away, the sparkles were gone. 

"We're here to introduce you to the history of the Circus, our ancestors, of us and of the magic that binds us all together" he said, making a waving motion with his hands. Taeyong mouth fell open as after his hand a red string appeared in air, making a perfect bow in the air in front of him. But then the guy waved his hand, and it disappeared like it has never been there.  
Then the guy one again bowed to the audience.

"My name is Johnny, and even if it sounds plain,  
This will be you the cry for help tonight.  
Say my name once, then twice,  
and I'll come to your rescue,  
When the hearts gets scared and the darkness falls down." His voice was deep as he said this, and Taeyong shivered. The light didn't falter a bit, but there was some strange dark mist around the guy as he let his hands down slowly.

Some of the audience gasped, and the guy gave a knowing smirk. The dark mist sparkled around him a little, but didn't fade away.  
"If your shivering from fear, not excitement,  
I would recommend for you to leave,  
So your soul can once again find its undisturbed peace." He pushed his hands forwards before he opened them up like he was offering a hug to his long lost lover. This brought Taeyong's attention to that the doors haven't been closed yet. They were all wide open, except his box. 

The guy looked around, and smiled softly when he saw that nobody from their audience made a movement to leave.  
" If you choose to stay, the so be it,  
this was your last chance to escape  
from the trap our show will lay." He once again pulled his hands to himself, and suddenly the dark mist around him cleared up.

"Our story is understandable, simple even,  
but it's magnificent, almost like a charm,  
I can assure you of it." Taeyong wasn't sure if it was the show he already put up, or the way he talked that had him sitting on the edge of his armchair. He didn't even want to blink, afraid that he'll miss something. 

"So please, get comfortable and lean back,  
And allow me to be your guide tonight." He held his hand out, waiting for the audience to take it. Taeyong almost reached for it, before he realised what he was doing. The only thing that calmed him was that he wasn't the only one who did this. 

"Us, the Circus were the ones, the magic has chosen to introduce you to its true nature..." The audience gasped when the guy suddenly thrusted his hands into the air, making a rain of sparkles fall around. Johnny seemed satisfied with the reaction. "...and I promise we won't disappoint. That's the only thing you can be sure of tonight." He chuckled, and Taeyong felt the shivers run through his spine again. 

The guy reached into the breast pocket of his suit, pulling out a pocket watch. What shocked everyone was that the pocket watch appeared above his head, showing it off to the audience. But there wasn't any light beamed over his head. 

He closed the watch and placed it back in his pocket.  
"Now, as the clock strikes nine, the show must begin.  
And we must tell you the tale  
You all came to hear" he said, waving his hands in front of himself, making the clock fade away.

He started slowly taking steps backwards as he said his last few words. He opened his arms.  
"Hold your breath and count to three,  
and listen carefully to what your heart has to say..." And he turned one, just to suddenly disappear, almost like in the movies, when the main character steps into an entrance that leads him into another universe. The light was switched off for a second, before two ray came into its place. One of them shone on a smaller man, who was singing in a soft tone and another one, who was dressed in completely white. He himself wasn’t much taller than the singing man, the ballet shoe on his feet didn’t lift much on him. He was standing a few meters behind the man, so he gracefully moved towards him. Taeyong could swear that he saw the white clothed guy’s lines blur as he moved, almost like he was just animated there by a movie crew. He stepped behind the man, and made moves with his hands like he was casting a spell on the other.  
The singing didn’t change a bit, except that the tone got a little bit higher with each movement of the white clothed man. 

_“For hundreds of years, people weren’t ready to embrace magic the way it was.”_ Taeyong heard Johnny’s soft voice in his ear so he turned around, just to find that there was nobody behind him. he was completely alone in the box. But not just Johnny wasn’t there, there was no loudspeaker or anything that could’ve made this effect. Taeyong quickly turned back just to see that some of the adults from the audience also searched for loudspeakers, only to see that there was none. 

_“They didn’t understand it, so they didn’t accept it. They started hunting the people who were able to embrace it”_ The singing man fell into the arms of the white clothed one, as he softly sung the melody. Taeyong couldn’t understand what he was saying, but it was like a spell. He couldn’t look away. Figures appeared in the darkness, taking the figures of soldiers and kings from the middle ages as the white clothed man pushed the singing man away from himself, and then lifted up his hands with a swung. The singing guy lay in the air, still continuing to sing. The tone he was in now was really high. 

“ _The people needed to hide, to suppress their magic, if they wanted to live_ ” Johnny’s voice didn’t disturb Taeyong, his voice and the pace he talked perfectly fit into the song. The white clothed guy danced under the singing one, his movements fluid like his limbs were from water. His lines blurred once again, but it just lifted the performance to another level. Taeyong didn’t need to guess that he was playing the role of the magic. 

“ _But the people don’t get to choose to possess magic or to hide it. The magic chooses us, and if it wants to make its presence known, then it will be known by everyone_ ” The white clothed guy suddenly stopped under the other one as the singing stopped. He opened his arms as if he was ready to catch him, standing with his back to the audience. The white light on them made the guy’s white clothes shine like it was the only ray of hope as suddenly the other fell. Taeyong heard a few women or girl scream as the guy fell, and Taeyong himself lifted his hand to his mouth so that he won’t make a sound. 

But as the guy was almost in the arms of the other, he suddenly disappeared, leaving the ‘magic’ there with empty arms, but with a boy, who Taeyong recognised as Jisung from earlier behind him. There was no mist, nor any sound effect, Jisung was just suddenly there, like he had always been there. He slowly lifted his head up and reached behind himself, running his hand over the man’s arm. The man moved with him, and soon they started dancing with each other in circles. The guy made the exact same movements as Jisung did just in the other way, the two of them completely in synch. It was beautiful. 

Jisung was wearing completely black clothes when he appeared, but Taeyong was surprised to see that during the dance, colourful lines started appearing on the fabric. One of them hugged his right leg up until his knee, but it stopped when it reached the middle of his thigh. The other line appeared on his upper arm and ran down until his wrist. The light shone form above them, making the round stage and the people on it everything the audience could see. 

_“The chosen learned to live with the magic, making it their best friend and the only thing in the universe they could trust without being afraid of it”_ Taeyong felt sadness worming its way into his heart. Now he could see the way Jisung’s smile sometimes wavered and how each time it happened, the magic - as he started calling the white clothed guy in his head – spun them around, bringing the boy’s smile back. 

_“For a long time, these people lived alone, afraid of the world turning their backs to them. But then, they needed to realise, that they weren’t as alone as they thought.”_  
The magic gave a last, loving smile to Jisung before he started spinning, making the veil attached to his clothes spun around him like a tornado. He spun faster and faster, until Taeyong couldn’t even take out his outlines, only the white spot in the middle of the stage. From the sides another figure came in, bringing Jisung’s attention to himself. The boy was smaller than Jisung but wore the same clothes as the boy did. He gave Jisung a smile before he started singing and spinning around, dancing happily. 

The song was happy, a lively melody that reflected the dancers’ age perfectly. They were young, they were happy that they finally found a friend. Taeyong felt a gentle smile come onto his face. He himself was rather lonely when he was young, finding it difficult to find friends. He could completely relate to the young boys. He didn’t even notice that the magic had disappeared from the stage, his attention only on the two boys. 

_“And finally, they found people they could call a family. They could learn more about the magic from each other, fight against the world together and grow together.”_ Jisung and the boy jumped up into extreme hights and lay out in the air in a star form, just to suddenly be replaced by two other boys. Taeyong’s breath hitched as he saw this. The music changed. The music slowed down, the sound of the piano flowing through the air. The two new guys wore white clothes, with more coloured line on it. The line ran up on both of their legs, and from their right arm it sneaked around their whole upper body. They started falling, still in the star position, before they caught the white ribbon that fell down with them. One of them was Jeno, who lead the little girl and her mother to their places earlier. He caught the other boy’s hand and pulled him to himself, steadying them on the ribbon. He gave him a big smile, which was reciprocated. The other boy had one of the most beautiful smiles Taeyong had ever seen. They danced around each other on the ribbon, doing tricks and moves that Taeyong would not be able to do even in his dreams. They were in perfect synch, not showing any sign of fear or hesitation in their moves. 

They stopped for a moment before they came to halt, stopping almost in a hug on the ribbon.  
The other boy climbed up on the ribbon, using Jeno as leverage, and Taeyong couldn’t help but be in awe of how strong Jeno must have been to keep himself steady on a freaking ribbon and be a steady leverage for the other. But he could be, and soon the boy was higher than he was. They both twirled the ribbon around their right arms, before they let it go with their legs, spreading them out in the air. Their left hand run along the shiny white fabric making them turn downwards, with their legs slowly getting higher than their upper body. Taeyong’s eyes widened. 

_“And there was someone they could rely on when they thought that the end came”_ This time Taeyong couldn’t even breath for a second as the whole audience screamed up when the boy who was higher up let go of the ribbon. He was falling with his eyes closed for a second, before both him and Jeno trusted their hands out in the same time, catching each other’s wrists. The motion made the ribbon move, swirling round and round, showing off the boys to everyone. Jeno was holding onto the ribbon with his legs too, as he pulled the guy up to himself. He arched his back, still holding the string with his right. They smiled at each other as the other twirled the ribbon around his leg and took the string over Jeno’s head. Jeno let go of the ribbon completely and hugged the boy’s waist to hold himself up, letting go the strings with his legs too. The music changed for a second, and it became much gentler than it was this far. Jeno curled his leg around the other boy’s that was around the string and took a hold of the fabric with his right hand right above the other’s. 

The music was soft and gentle, caressing Taeyong’s ears as he watched the boys swirl around the room, with their free leg completely straight behind them, they leaning back as far as they could. The music was slow, making it look like they were in some kind of fantasy, but in Taeyong's mind, that the song was about absolute and unconditional trust. Something these two definitely had if they were ready to put their lives in the other’s hands like this. The uncurled their legs and let go of the ribbon with it, only holding themselves up with their hands. They showed each other their backs, spreading and straightening their legs, and just flying over the stage. There was a serene smile on their faces as they did so, not worrying about a thing. They knew that everything will be alright if they were together. 

They shifted positons, turning to their left. Their right leg remained straight but they pulled the left up, almost like a jump. They leaned back once again, and the boy even went that far that he let go with his right hand and made a big but soft and gentle motion with it. It was beautiful. The music started fading, and Taeyong almost cried out a ‘No’ when he realised that the performance was coming to its end. He could watch the boys the whole night. 

_“Many people joined them from around world. The ones who the magic has chosen will find each other even if they started on the two opposite end on the globe”_ And finally, the other lights have been turned on, making the stage and the audience bathe in multicoloured lights. The guys, a younger and an older one came out in traditional Chinese dresses and started dancing to the instrumental music. It was once again a happy song, almost matching the one Jisung’s partner has sung earlier. They had a bright smile on their faces, seemingly enjoying what they were doing. Their movements were graceful and rather slow, but it still matched the music perfectly. It was amazing, even though Taeyong sometimes thought that they probably didn’t have any bone in their body, because there was no way anyone could be so flexible with them.

Then came two other young boys who danced and fooled around the stage, making everyone laugh and eased the mode even more. They probably played the role of the clowns, even though they weren’t wearing the traditional clown make-up nor the clothes. But Taeyong didn’t miss them at all, the guys had a big success even like this. Johnny said, that this was the time the Circus was made and everything seemed perfect. 

_“But nothing will stay peaceful and undisturbed forever. Hardships will always come to a person, to see if the person is strong enough to win over them_ ” Johnny’s voice rang in his ears, and Taeyong felt his heart skip a beat. _“A person can choose to give up or fight at times like this_ ” he said, and Taeyong felt the need to avert his eyes for a moment. 

People should fight when they faced hardships, right? The flashes came back to his mind as he remembered his boss shouting and him and threatening to fire his ass if he made one more mistake. Taeyong didn’t go to the carnival because he had a day off. He went there because he was fired and didn’t have the heart to go home. At that moment he thought that this was the end of the world. Did he give up? He should give up, that’s what his mind told him. He suddenly felt the need to stand up and leave, but then he heard Johnny’s chuckle in his ear. 

_“And the Circus choose to fight. WE choose to fight. And we won”_ he said, and even though the voice was the same like earlier, Taeyong know that he was the only one who heard the last sentence whispered: _“Will you fight, too? Wil you give yourself a chance to win?”_

Taeyong felt his eyes widen. _What?_

Suddenly, the white string from earlier came into his view again, but this time it wasn’t the two boys that came. It was just one sole figure, in now completely coloured clothes, with his colourful make-up covering up his face. 

__

_Yuta._

Yuta was spinning on the ribbon fast in the middle, while another guy came in on a trapeze. Another few trapeze had been let down, so when Yuta finally let go of the ribbon he immediately caught one in his hands, and pulled himself up onto it so he was standing on top of it, going in circles above the audience. It earned him and his partner a big applause. The set up that was holding the trapeze was spinning slowly, showing of the two acrobat on it, before they eventually moved. Both the guy and Yuta jumped onto another trapeze, holding onto it, swinging back and forth. The guy sat down onto his trapeze and the leaned back, holding himself with his knees. Yuta was still swinging and the set-up was still going in circles. It was dangerous, that was the first thing that came to Taeyong’s mind. 

But the guy eventually settled, and held his hands out, ready to catch Yuta. Taeyong prayed in his mind that Yuta wasn’t going to do what he thought he was going to do. He lifted the balloon dog to his face, pressing his lips against it. 

He almost closed his eyes when Yuta swung back and then eventually let go of his trapeze, flying towards the guy. 

Who didn’t catch his hands. 

Taeyong stood up, his eyes widening in horror. 

But then the guy caught Yuta’s ankles, swinging him back for a moment, before arching his back and swinging Yuta towards the audience with this. What Taeyong didn’t see coming was that Yuta was now in the same height as him, bringing him up right onto Taeyong’s level with the swinging. For a moment, everything froze down. Yuta caught Taeyong’s gaze, looking deeply into his eyes when he was on the peak of his swing. He gave the man a smile. 

A smile that Taeyong will remember forever. 

And then as the swing brought him away, he turned back to the audience, letting the guy to let go off him, and ready to catch the trapeze of his own before he fell. 

Taeyong just stood there, frozen. He couldn’t think of anything until the end of the show. 

***************

It was the loud clapping of the audience that brought Taeyong back from the daze he was in. The show has ended, the performers were bowing, thanking their audience of staying and watching them. 

Taeyong just sat there, unable to do anything. What had happened? Why was he brought there by Yuta? Was this fate? Did it happen just so he could hear what he needed to hear? 

There were so many questions in his mind in that moment. But he couldn’t find an answer to any of them. He just watched the performers bow, watching Yuta bow, until the guy eventually caught his gaze. The smile he wore until that moment transformed into a gentle, caring one as he looked at Taeyong. He held his gaze until the last moment when suddenly all of the lights went out, leaving everything in the dark for just a second, before it came in again, but this time only shining on the audience’s seat, signalling that the show has ended. Everybody started collecting their things, leaving their seats. But not Taeyong. He remained still, waiting. 

__

_“And if you wish, after the performance, you can wait here if you're not too tired, and the member you've waited for will come to you”_

He waited for Yuta. He wanted to see him. He needed to see him.

It took him several minutes of waiting, and everyone from the audience were gone by the time the door of his boy finally opened and Yuta stepped in. His make-up was gone, and if it was possible, he was even more beautiful than before. The only sign that he was on the stage just minutes ago was that his pants were still the colourful ones he wore on stage, and even though he was wearing his black hoodie again, Taeyong knew that he was still wearing the colourful shirt, too. 

“Hey” Yuta greeted him with a smile. 

“Hi” Taeyong couldn’t help but smile back softly as he averted his gaze, his fingers playing with the balloon puppy in his hands. 

“So, I guess, you have a lot of questions” Yuta said, as he slowly walked to the balcony that was on the edge of the box and sat onto it. It was dangerous, but after what he had seen that night, Taeyong wasn’t sure what was dangerous to the guy and what was not. 

“Why am I here?” Taeyong asked, finally looking back onto Yuta. The guy looked ethereal, even in the dark room. Behind him there was the dark stage, and in his black hoodie and colourful pants, he looked exactly like he belonged there. That was his home.

Yuta gave him a gentle, loving smile.  
“In the performance, it was said that the magic chooses the people, and not we choose it. And that the people, who has been chosen can find a support in the magic that will never leave them alone, something they can unconditionally trust” he said, looking down at the stage over his shoulder. Taeyong nodded slowly. It wasn’t the exact same thing what Johnny has said, but it meant the same thing. 

“Yeah.” Hearing Taeyong’s answer, Yuta looked at him from the corner of his eyes and gave him a smile before he stood up on the rail on the edge of the balcony. He was just a few inches short to knock his head into the ceiling. 

“Magic isn’t just for the ones it has chosen. Magic is to help people in the worst times of their life, to bring back the joy they have lost” he said, opening his arms. “We, in the circus are here to bring laugh and wonder back into the world for those who need it. And you, Taeyong, needed it. Desperately.” he said, his eyes turning said. 

Taeyong shook his head.  
“But… how did you know? I didn’t ask you to…” he started, but Yuta jumped down from the rail and stepped in front of him. He took Taeyong’s face between his hands. His hands were cold, but so soft…

“You didn’t have to ask. I knew it from the second I saw you” he said, looking into his eyes. “I’m here to remind you, that not everything is lost, and that someone is always there to love you. I’m here. And I love you” he said, caressing Taeyong’s face softly, before he pulled his hands away. 

“You don’t even know me…” Taeyong said, but blushed like a little girl at the confession. Yuta gave him a knowing smirk as he looked down at the balloon dog in Taeyong’s hands.

“Oh, I know you, don’t worry” he laughed. “And I’ll always be there for you” he said, taking the pink string around the dog’s neck between his fingers. 

“But… You’re with the Circus, and the Circus only comes once a year…” Taeyong reminded him, his voice shaking a little. 

“Yes, the Circus comes once a year. But that doesn’t mean anything” Yuta smiled at him lovingly and held his hand out with his palm upwards. “Now close your eyes and hold out your hand” he instructed, and Taeyong placed his right hand into Yuta’s feeling him intertwine their fingers. He closed his eyes, but he could hear Yuta stepping closer to him, until he felt the ballon puppy pressed between them and Yuta’s breath on his mouth.

__

_“Now hold your breath and count to three…”_

It wasn’t the same in Yuta’s voice as it was in Johnny’s. It was much more beautiful. But Taeyong didn’t have time to think about it as Yuta’s lips pressed against his. He was ready to pull Yuta into himself and drop the balloon in favour of embracing the acrobat, but Yuta pulled back before that could have happened.  
Taeyong still didn’t open his eyes, just listened as the other talked.

__

_”And listen carefully to what your heart has to say…”_

There was another kiss, this time much shorter and much sweeter. Just a peck.

 _“And when you finally listen to it and understand what it’s telling you…_ "

_"…I’ll be there. Waiting for you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the ending! I know most of you weren't in for this kind of end... 
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway! Music wise, this looks like this:  
> I made up the song Taeyong sand in the beginning, so I don't have that.  
> The song Jisung and Ten (The magic) danced is [The heart asks pleasure first by Michael Nyman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsQBKr_x-P4)  
> The song Chenle sang as he danced with Jisung was [It's gonna be Okay by The Piano Guys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pBjopDymts)  
> Jeno and Jaemin's song is [My World by Florian Bur](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqPoYspKcoc). Jaemin let go of the string at 3:40.  
> Renjun and Winwin's music is [this.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5B4e79bmCs)  
> Then the "clowns' were Mark and Donghyuck and they fooled around to [Jump by CrusaderBeach](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW-Do9l2GdE)  
> And last but not least, Yuta's partner was Jaehyun, and their music in my head was [Illumination from Jennifer Thomas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEw629Bp7vU). And Yuta reached for Taeyong at 1:22. 
> 
>  
> 
> I really hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did writing it! Please, really do leave a comment after yourself, because I'm really curious of your thoughts on this one!  
> Talk to me on Twitter: [Rinrin2442](https://twitter.com/Rinrin2442)

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me on Twitter: [Rinrin2442](https://twitter.com/Rinrin2442)


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